The Garrett Gang-Party of 5

Show and Tell

2010-01-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Last week was Red Ribbon Week at Spencer's school. We thought it would be fun to bring in Jimmy's drug dog for show and tell. The kids were thrilled to have a dog at school. Jimmy talked to the kids about Lenny and how he was a working dog. After a brief discussion he did a demonstration. He picked me and 3 kids from the class and had us stand in a line (what was unknown to the kids was that he placed a rag scented with drugs in my pocket). Lenny sniffed all the kids and when he smelled me he sat to indicate he found the "drugs" (or in this case the rag). He is quite an amazing dog. We have had fun playing with him over the weekend. It was cool to share a part of Jimmy's job with Spencer's class.

Party of the Century

2010-01-24T10:14:00.001-08:00

For Trenton's 5 year old birthday we threw him a HUGE party! We invited 18 friends but only 17 were able to attend (are we crazy!). We scheduled out the Stake Center for the party. The theme of the party was Sports. I printed off 5 different sports that Trenton likes. Each picture was taped around the gym and corresponded with a game we would play. All the kids sat in the middle of the gym, then I would ask questions like "This is a sport that you play with a ball and you have to wear pads and a helmet". When the kids guessed football they would have to find the picture of the football and run to it. Then we would play the game. The games were Set, Set, Hike (duck, duck, goose), 12 Dribble - Slam Dunk (12 o'clock midnight), Red light, Green Light - Home-run, Goal (soccer), and Skateboard Attack (shark attack). I had to make up cute names to go along with the theme! :) The kids had a lot of fun playing games, and I was surprised that they listened really well - so it wasn't to wild and crazy.

After games we ate pizza and soda and opened presents. I'll tell you what, 17 friends equals 17 gifts - Trenton hit the jackpot! It was almost overwhelming! He was so excited though. He has some very generous friends.

Instead of cake we had donuts, because Trenton LOVES donuts. Then all the kids sang Happy Birthday (while Trenton danced for us - oh brother!). Then it was time to go home. Whew! We survived - thank goodness for Ibuprofen. :) It really was a fun birthday party. I was so grateful we were able to use the church. (17 kids in my house - could you imagine!)

Trenton's Birthday

2010-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

This year was a big Birthday for Trenton. He turned 5 years old! The day of his birthday was jammed packed. There was so much going on. He was so excited he was up bright and early to open presents before Jimmy left for work.

Trenton asked me to make a football cake because he loves to play football and wear his BYU football costume.

After breakfast it was time for preschool. His class was taking a field trip to the Dinosaur museum. What a special treat for his birthday! I accompanied the class to help out the teacher and to be with Trenton on his special day. The dinosaur museum is always fun!

After school I took the other boys to Grandpa Steve so I could have a date with Trenton. We decided to go miniature golfing. It was a lot of fun even though at first Trenton was nervous of it being so dark. But I thought the "Cosmic Golfing" was pretty cool! Both Trenton and I got a hole in one. Trenton was so proud! He was funny because at every hole he would just hit the ball once then pick it up and put it in the hole, so when he got the hole in one he was shocked!

After golfing we went back to the Grandparents home and opened gifts. Trenton was excited about all the fun presents. He is showing a lot of interest in video games and playing Webkins on the computer. He also likes to go sledding and wants to learn how to snowboard. He was spoiled rotten - but isn't that what is supposed to happen on your birthday?

For dinner that night we decided to go to Pirate Island - a new themed restaurant in Orem. The atmosphere of the restaurant is amazing, but the food mediocre. Our waiter was dressed up like Captain Jack from Pirates of the Caribbean. He stayed in character the entire night! There is also an arcade at the restaurant so the kids had a blast playing there. It really is a fun place to go.

After dinner we had cake and ice cream. Whoa! What a fun filled day.

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY TRENTON! We love you a bushel and a peck!

Our Christmas Newsletter 2009

2010-01-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from the Garrett’s

Jimmy – Still works for the Dept. of Corrections as a Sergeant on SWAT. Hobbies include hunting, Frisbee golf, surfing, and playing football with the kids. Coached Spencer’s soccer team this year. Enjoys Facebook and playing Farkle. Had fun visiting his hometown in Florida and seeing some old friends there.

Laurel- Is a stay at home mom. Hobbies include reading and exercise. Enjoys her yearly triathlon and is training for one this spring. Is also thinking of doing a ½ marathon in the summer. Is the room mother for Spencer’s class. Highlight of the year was our 10 year anniversary trip to Florida and the Bahamas.

Spencer – 7 - Is in 1^st grade at Harvest Elementary. Likes to read and is very proud to be reading chapter books. Is a sports fanatic. He is an amazing football and soccer player. Favorite activity is playing football in our yard with his dad, brothers, and all the other boys from the neighborhood.

Trenton – 4- Attends preschool 3 times a week and loves it. Enjoys dressing up especially in football uniforms. Nicknamed “Tricky Trenton” because he spends more time upside down then on his feet. Favorite activities are playing football, riding his bike, doing headstands, and playing with friends.

Taylor (TJ) – 3- Attends preschool 2 times a week. Is always smiling and giving hugs and kisses. Likes to go swimming and jump off the side into the pool. Loves to look at books about animals. Is the most shy of all the kids. Gets attached to toys and his blanket. Favorite activity is watching movies.

Sled Time

2010-01-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Sledding with the Haacke's

Sledding with the Olsen's and the Manning's

Holiday Season 2009

2010-01-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Holiday Season has come and gone. I can't believe how fast it went. Unfortunately for me 3 of the 4 weeks in December I was sick as a dog (sinus issues, cough, and ear infection - yuck)! But, I was blessed to be feeling well during the week of Christmas.

The season began with a Christmas program at Trenton's school. He practiced his part at home and said it very clearly during the program. I was so proud. The program was about Christ and Trenton's part was "A" is for all he stands for". The next day I went to Spencer's school to help with his Christmas party. I love being in the classroom with the kids. I helped the kids make reindeer out of candy canes.

That evening we took the kids to the mall to see Santa. We had to stand in line for 1 hour but we were patient and the kids were able to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we went to my parents home for our traditional Christmas Eve Dinner. The kids always have a blast and Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Steve's house. When we first got there my aunt from California had sent a huge Christmas box full of gifts. The kids were amazed and literally "jumped" right in (and made a huge mess).

My mom has always made the Holidays special and I just love the traditions we have as a family. Of course all the kids got new PJ's. We spent dinner all together and it was nice to be with everyone in our family. One of the funny highlights is what Logan calls TJ. He calls him Pooh J. Why he calls him that? I have no idea. My brother, Chris, creates a family video every year. It is a collection of photos taken throughout the year put to music. My kids LOVE the "picture show". After watching the video we opened a few gifts and then we were headed home to get ready for Santa.

Christmas morning we started the day reading Luke 2, a tradition we do in our home before we go down to open presents, then it was off to see what Santa brought. This year Spencer wanted a Nintendo DS, Trenton wanted a BYU football costume, and TJ wanted a Dragon Castle. Santa delivered, but instead of a DS for Spencer he brought a PSP (Playstation Personal). He wasn't quite sure what to think of the PSP, but once he started playing it he said "this is AWESOME!"

Trenton was so excited to get his BYU uniform. He ran straight upstairs and put it on (and then he wore it for 4 days straight).

TJ was the cutest thing I have ever seen. When he opened up his Dragon Castle he was yelling and jumping up and down. It was priceless! Later that morning we went back over to my parents for a "Camp Chef" breakfast. Jimmy made a "Mountain Man Breakfast" (hashbrown casserole) in the dutch oven and my dad made crepes on his camp chef out in the snow. Boy was it YUMMY!

We opened more presents and then headed over to Jimmy's sisters home for an early dinner and more partying. The kids had fun playing with their cousins and I had fun visiting with Grandma Janet and Julie. (Jimmy and the other men spent most of the evening playing the X Box downstairs). We had a wonderful Christmas. We are so blessed to live so close to our family. Merry Christmas!

Big Box of Fun

2010-01-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

I bought some new dinning room chairs and the kids had a blast playing in the big box. They made a house with a garage and then made a car out of the smaller box. Then they added their own personal touches with markers. It was a fun activity.

Family Photos 2009

2009-12-04T08:56:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we invited family to our house. Jimmy's parents, brother, and sister and her family joined us. I spent all week trying to keep the house tidy (it was still a little messy, but I tried). :) The day before Thanksgiving I spent the afternoon baking pies and making sweet potato casserole. I was going to make homemade rolls but our amazing home teacher brought rolls to us the night before. What a blessing! Rolls are not my forte. I got up early Thanksgiving morning to set out the rolls to rise and get the turkey in the oven. Jimmy took Spencer and Trenton to the park for the Turkey Bowl. Spencer had a blast playing football with the grown ups. Jimmy gave him the assignment to stick to the quarterback. Spencer would count to 5 and then go after the quarterback. The Bishop called him the mosquito because you couldn't get rid of him. :) He loves playing football! The family arrived around noon. We had a simple but delicious meal and had a great time visiting. Later after the company left we went to my parents for pie (even though we were still stuffed from lunch). We always have a great time visiting Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Steve. I'm so grateful to be blessed with such a wonderful family. There is so much to be thankful for. It is nice to have a holiday to be reminded of what we have. Happy Thanksgiving!

Grandma Janet

2009-11-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

We love our Grandma Janet. Trenton also love to make faces in pictures. :)

Halloween Songs - So Cute!

2009-11-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Mean Old Witch

TJ's Monster Song

Halloween 2009

2009-11-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

For the last several years Jimmy has had to work on Halloween, so we were thrilled this year because he was off!! The week of Halloween was FREEZING but we lucked out and had a mild day on the 31st. Trenton had 2 costumes he wanted to wear and kept changing his mind. He wore a leopard costume to his preschool party and a motor-cross costume on Halloween night, so it worked out great. Spencer wanted to be an army guy. He was a little nervous about the face paint. He thought the other kids would make fun of him for wearing "make-up", but instead they all said he looked "awesome"! I also dressed up to go help at Spencer's Halloween party at school. It was a lot of fun. TJ borrowed a giraffe costume from his friend. He wore that silly costume daily for a week. Halloween night Jimmy took the kids out trick-or-treating. After a hour he brought the 2 little kids home and took Spencer out for more candy. He told Spencer that you don't walk-you run to all the houses! He also told him if he had the choice between a sucker or a candy bar you always pick the candy bar! Words of wisdom from daddy! :)

Spencer's First Football Season

2009-11-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

This year Spencer was old enough to start flag football. He is an exceptional athlete and is very talented at the game. He would go out in the yard with Jimmy to play catch and all the other boys from the neighborhood would come out of the woodwork to join them. We had many football games in the yard. So, when we saw the sign ups for the city league we couldn't pass up the opportunity. He did very well. Spencer is very fast, was the first off the line, and was always catching and pulling off the other teams flags. His teammates called him the "king of getting flags". He stopped many plays because of how well he could tackle (or pull off flags). He also scored a number of touchdowns throughout the season and was the only player on his team to catch a pass (at this age pass plays are very difficult). We were so proud of him and hope that he continues to do well in sports.

Our 10 Year Anniversary (Florida and Bahamas)

2009-11-22T16:14:00.001-08:00

Ten Year Anniversary Trip to Florida and the Bahamas

October 2, 2009 - October 11, 2009

Air Boat Ride on the St. Johns River

Visiting Palm Bay Florida and staying on the beach at the Raddison Hotel

Walking the Boardwalk at the Turkey Creek Sanctuary

The cotton mouth Jimmy was provoking and the cool alligators

On the boat on our way to the Bahamas. We sailed on the Monarch of the Seas

Cocoa Cay Bahamas - We went snorkeling, shopping, and relaxed on the beach

Views from the Boat

Nassau Bahamas - we went on a private snorkel cruise

The Atlantis Hotel and the aquarium

At the beach in Nassau

View of the Port at Nassau - the shopping center and the Atlantis Hotel

In the center of the ship

I love you!!!

Disney World - in one day we visited 3 parks, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and the Magic Kingdom

Spencer turns 7

2009-11-22T15:59:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Spencer's birthday early this year since Jimmy and I were going to be out of town on his real birthday. Spencer loves shrimp so for lunch we went to Red Lobster for all you can eat shrimp. He was in shrimp heaven! :) Later we came back home and had a BBQ dinner with grandparents and cousins. Spencer requested an army cake - so I was able to make a tank. He loved it! On his real birthday he went to school and passed out dog tag candy necklaces to his class. That night he went to McDonalds and his football game. He had a nice birthday. Happy Birthday Spencer! We love you!

2009 Family Photos

2009-11-22T15:45:00.001-08:00

Family Pictures 2009 - South Fork, Provo Canyon - taken by Chris Haacke

Trick Boy Trenton

2009-11-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

Trenton spends as much time upside down as on his feet. We call him Trick Boy Trenton. He loves to do head stands, cartwheels, and flips (and most of the time he is in his undies). It is amazing the new tricks he comes up with. We have to get this kid into gymnastics (if only it wasn't so expensive)! We call him the genie when he stands on his head and folds his arms. He will always be our "Tricky Trenton".

Hunting with Dad

2009-11-22T15:02:00.001-08:00

August is Hunting Season for Jimmy. Every year he draws a bow hunting tag and head up into the mountains for a week long hunt. This year he was not able to bag his deer the first week, so every other weekend, or so, he will go up to the mountains for a couple hours. One Friday afternoon he decided to invite Spencer along. It was a great opportunity for some bonding time together. Spencer had a blast hiking through the hills and talking with his dad. Afterward Jimmy took him to get a milkshake. It was the highlight of the whole trip. Hopefully this will become a father - son tradition.

Fish Out of Water

2009-11-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

We were invited to a pool party and dutch oven dinner at Aunt Robin and Uncle Randy's home. The kids love to swim and enjoy jumping into the pool. I couldn't believe how brave TJ was. He is a fish out of water. Every time he jumped he would stick his tongue out.

For dinner Grandpa Steve made a gourmet dutch oven meal. We had blackberry chicken, cinnamon squash casserole, and cobbler for dessert - YUMMY!

TJ's 3rd Birthday

2009-11-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

My kids are growing to fast! On July 14 Taylor turned 3 years old.

We had a big day planned for him. After opening a few gifts before Jimmy left for work, we jumped in the car to spend some time at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. There is an amazing museum that we love to go and visit. My mom came with us and we also met a friend of mine who lives up in Ogden. The boys had fun looking at all the planes and playing at the children's learning center. At

the learning center they have air plane simulators, video games, dress ups, and all sorts of aviation toys and games. After the museum we went to McDonalds - TJ's favorite restaurant.

TJ was really into wild animals at this time, so I made him a tiger cake. It turned out pretty cute. He had 4 little animal toys that he became attached to - at tiger, lion, zebra and hippo. He could not sleep without these animals and he took them with him everywhere. It he put them down for something, it would never fail that a few minutes later he would say "animals" and start looking for them.

After Jimmy got off work we went as a family,with my parents and Noelle and Trent, to The Mayan. The Mayan is a themed restaurant with waterfalls and a live diving show. My kids love it!! We had a busy but fun day. Happy Birthday Taylor! We love you!

Garrett Family Reunion July 2009

2009-11-21T19:47:00.001-08:00

Every summer over Pioneer Day (July 24th) we have the Garrett Family Reunion. All of Jimmy's siblings try to make a trip to Utah to spend time together. On the 24th we all make the trek down to Holden Utah - the small town Janet grew up in. The town puts on a huge celebration including a parade, the most amazing breakfast known to man - YUM, bottle rocket launching, the great race (a youth and adult relay race), the children races, and finally a homemade ice cream contest! One of the highlights are the children's races. By age the kids line up and sprint to the finish line. This is my kids very favorite activity. They love running races! Many of Jimmy's aunts, uncles, and cousins come to Holden to enjoy the festivities and visit with all the family.

After the celebration at the church, we all head over to Uncle Norman's home for another huge meal. For the last couple of year they have made ribs on the barbecue - Delicious! The kids have a blast playing on the rope swing, riding horses and four wheelers, playing on the play set, exploring the farm, and just spending time together. Some of the older kids and adults take Uncle Norman's challenge of climbing up the rope swing. If you can climb the rope and touch the tree branch you get a fresh, crisp dollar bill. However, climbing the rope is not for the faint of heart, there have been many rope burns throughout the years, but if you succeed you have bragging rights! :) This is Jimmy's favorite holiday of the year (I think it is because of the hometown cooking)! :)

The day after Holden we all met at Julie's house for another day of fun. We took tracks up to Salt Lake to visit the Gateway. My kids loved riding on the tracks train. At the Gateway (which is a big outdoor mall) there is a fountain that the kids can play in. Spencer and Trenton had so much fun running through the fountain with their cousins. TJ wasn't to keen on getting wet. :) After the Gateway we decided to go see "Night at the Museum 2". It was a fun movie. Afterward we went back to Julie's for dinner and down time. The kids played and played while the adults visited. Spending this time together is always a highlight of the year.

A Hike to Stewart Falls July 09

2009-11-21T19:36:00.001-08:00

We live in such a beautiful state. The mountains are right there for us to enjoy. We took a morning to hike to Stewart Falls. This was the first time we have hiked to the falls as a family. We have such amazing little hikers, the boys just love being in the mountains. Jimmy says we have some good future hunters. The day was a little overcast and drizzling, and it was a little cold once we reached the falls, but the kids had a great time exploring. And, the views are amazing - this is a beautiful hike! This hike is a great family activity and we hope to hike there every summer.

Fourth of July Family Olympics

2009-11-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

For the Fourth of July my brother Chris decided to start a family tradition in holding an Annual Family Olympics. He sent us all invitations and planned a day full of fun in the sun. We played in the pool and slip-n-slide, had water relay games, and an award ceremony in the evening. One of the highlights of the day was when we pulled out the blanket toss. The kids had a blast flying up into the air. We also had fun playing with the giant parachute. It was a fun day and the Family Olympics will be a great family tradition.

Camping with the Olsen's

2009-06-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in June we took a trip with Jimmy's sister, Julie, and her family. We went down south to an area we have never been called Kodachrome Basin, which is near Bryce Canyon. It was a beautiful area. We enjoyed hiking, hanging out, and visiting Bryce. There were also some very unique rock formations. The kids loved to sneak up on the rabbits, which were found all over in the campground. There was one incident when Brennan (my 3 year old nephew) wandered off at the campground. We spent a few minutes searching and then another couple staying in the camp saw him and pointed us in his direction. Trenton noticed all the attention that Brennan was getting (also noticing a few tears shed by Brennan's mom). So, my tricky little Trenton decided to "wander off" on his own, hide in a bush, and then not come out when we were calling for him. When we finally found him he asked me "Mom did you cry?", thinking that he would get the same reaction. What a stinker! What am I going to do with that boy!?! At Kodachrome Basin State Park they have a Junior Ranger program. The boys had a great time completing the Junior Ranger booklet and passing off the requirements to be "sworn in" and become a Junior Ranger. What a great idea. Bryce Canyon was so beautiful, although I was a bit stressed that you are basically standing on the edge of a cliff as you view it. We went on an awesome hike at Bryce. It was called the Navajo trail and I highly recommend it if you ever go hike the canyon. It was so cool! We also hiked to a small waterfall and a cave a few miles from Bryce. This was Trenton's favorite hike, it was called the Mossy Cave hike. We have really enjoyed camping this year. The kids are old enough that it is not as stressful anymore. We will be looking forward to our next big camping adventure!

Garrbear

2009-06-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

"I'm Garrbear's Daddy" that is what Trenton always says. Trenton has fallen in love with his stuffed black bear he calls Garrbear (said like Garrett bear just take away the "ett"). Seeing him play like he is a daddy is completely adorable. It gives me a small taste of what a little girl might be like. This little bear goes everywhere with Trenton. He places it in his backpack when he goes to school, he carries him around the store, he even puts him in his pants when he doesn't have pockets (that I frown upon). In a typical day he feeds, cleans, and puts his bear to bed. He creates little sleeping bags out of blankets, tucks him in, and even turns on a night light. I have even found him putting Garrbear in time out, he said to me "Mom, Garrbear's in time out because he was hitting and biting" then he picks up the bear and says "Garrbear you do not hit and bite, now you can come out of time out". I have discovered that if you want to get a straight answer from Trenton you ask the bear first, and Trenton will answer honestly - for the bear. It is hysterical. You can always tell when "Garrbear" is talking because Trenton will speak baby talk in a high pitched voice. He also told me that he wanted to scrapbook Garrbear a baby book. Isn't that just so precious!?! It was my birthday a few weeks back and I asked Trenton what he was going to get for me. He said "I'm going to get you a bear Webkin, it will be a girl named Laci, and it will be Garrbear's mom". SO CUTE!!! (Webkinz are the brand of stuffed animal, and Laci is the name Jimmy and I chose if we ever had a little girl). Sure enough I got a Polar Bear Webkin which I named Laci. He is such a loving little boy and now "Laci" the Polar Bear will become quite sentimental to me. I just love seeing this side of Trenton.

Graduations -Smiles and Tears

2009-05-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Schools out for Summer! Well we made it through our first year of Elementary School for Spencer and Preschool for Trenton. WOW - I feel old! Both boys had little graduation ceremonies. They did a great job. Of course I started crying in the middle of Spencer's. I'm such a baby. I am so proud of my boys. Spencer loved Kindergarten with Miss Gurney. She was an amazing teacher. I hope 1st grade will be just as fun for him, and I pray for a good teacher. It is so exciting to see him learning to read and write. Trenton finally warmed up to Preschool and enjoyed the last couple of months (there were a few months where I had to bribe him to go). Trenton marches to his own beat, but I sure do love that little guy! Here are a few highlights from each graduation.

First Camp Trip of the Season

2009-05-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

We went camping over Memorial Day with Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Steve, Chris, Crystal and family, and Noelle and Trent. We went up to Flaming Gorge for the weekend. I forgot how beautiful this area was. It was so nice being in the great outdoors. We had a great time fishing, exploring, going on Grandpa's treasure hunt, riding bikes, hanging out, and (of course) eating. I celebrated my 31st birthday while we were there. All a wanted was a dutch oven feast which my dad prepared for me. I especially loved my Cherry Chocolate Cobbler (yum). It rained part of the time so we went to Vernal to the Dinosaur Museum there. TJ absolutely loves dinosaurs, we had a great time. We did have to cut the trip short because of the rain, but we still had a lot of fun. We are looking forward to many more family camp trips this summer.

Women of Steel - May 16, 2009

2009-05-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

I did my second Women of Steel Triathlon this past May. I had a blast and did very will in all three events. Here are my times -

Swim (300 meter) - 8 mins 25 seconds

Bike (12.76 miles) - 46 mins 57 seconds

Run (3 miles) - 31 mins 42 seconds

Total (with Transitions) - 1 hour 33 mins 27 secs

Thanks to all those who came to support me- Jimmy and the boys, Chris (my photographer), Dad, John and Janet, and my good friend Becca. It is nice to know there are so many who cheer me on.

Spencer fishing

2009-04-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

We went fishing as a family up Provo Canyon. Jimmy bought new fishing poles which are really easy for the kids to use. The fishing was incredible. Spencer caught at least 15 fish, and he did everything all by himself (casting and reeling in). But the best part about fishing was the delicious grilled fish we ate later that night. YUMMY!

Easter Photos

2009-04-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunt at Grandma Cindy's

Neighborhood Egg Hunt - In the rain

Easter Sunday and Easter Baskets

Sunday, a day of STRESS!

2009-04-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest, but that is virtually impossible when you have small children. Last Saturday night Jimmy had to pull an all nighter "babysitting" an inmate in the hospital, so that meant I would have to be taking the children to church alone while he caught up on his sleep. We made it to Sacrament meeting right on time. Trenton (smart little thing) has discovered that if he says he needs to go to the potty we will let him leave the meeting to use the restroom. The very second we sat down he states, "I have to go potty". I sent him to the potty with Spencer. They returned, a little rowdy, but hey at least they came back. Trenton continued to be disruptive and ask to go to the potty every 10 minutes. Who really needs to go potty 6 times a hour? About 15 to 20 minutes before the end of the meeting, as I was reading TJ a story and I look up to find no Trenton. Apparently he had crawled under the pew and left the room. I waited a minute or two thinking he would come back in, but no Trenton returned. I loaded up the other kids, stuck them in a classroom and the search was on. At this point I was fuming. To make a long story short, I did not find Trenton for about 20 minutes. Wherever he was, he was one step ahead of me. I was even poking my head in all the bathrooms (Men's room included - How embarrassing!). I was panicked, furious, and on the verge of tears. Finally I found him, with the help of a friend, who practically had to tackled him in the hall because he was running at full speed. At this point I went back to the classroom (where I was supposed to be teaching a Sunday School lesson) picked up our stuff and left. Fortunately a member of the Sunday School Presidency was walking down the hall, asked if I needed help, and offered to teach my class for me. What a saint! Once in the car I completely had a melt down. Jimmy was so startled when I came home because I was hysterical and so embarrassed. While I calmed down Jimmy set the boys down to discuss how we should behave at church. One by one the kids came up to apologize to me (which was sweet for Spencer and TJ, they were actually pretty good at church but they apologized anyway). TJ said to me "Mommy, no run away. Be nice". He got it! What a cute little thing. Well, when it was Trenton's turn he said to me, "Mom, when I have that feeling you just need to let me go" (to the potty). WHAT!?! No sorry, no nothing. He is such a little stinker, he's got a mind of his own. When I think about what happened now it kind of cracks me up. I guess it is good to laugh at stuff like this, even though at the time I was furious and completely humiliated. Hopefully someday I can find "rest" on Sundays.

No Boys Allowed

2009-04-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

March 26-28th, 2009 were the dates of another, much needed, "Girl Trip". My good friends, Becca and Kerryanne, joined me on a trip down to beautiful St. George, Utah - and there were "NO BOYS ALLOWED!" :) We were looking forward to some sunshine, however, we woke up to a blizzard. We waited a hour or so for the storm to let up a bit before we hit the road. Once we got out of Utah County the weather turned for the better. Once in St. George we began with a little shopping. We went to a cute craft store called "Krumpets" first. It was full of adorable home decor. Afterward we headed off the the outlet mall. It was a great afternoon of shopping with the girls. We had dinner at the Olive Garden then hit the movie theater for a late night show. However, the flick we saw was a complete dud! Whatever you do don't go see Duplicity - it was STUPID! We stayed the first night at the Holiday Inn Express - which was a fantastic hotel. Thanks Becca (or Troy) for hooking us up!

Day 2 started with a great breakfast, then getting ready for a day of hiking in Snow Canyon. Kerryanne decided to spend some time with some of her family who live in St. George while Becca, Adie (Becca's Aussie friend), and I went to enjoy some scenery. We went on a couple hikes in Snow Canyon - the first was the Hidden Pinion Trail, which was beautiful, then we continued on to the Three Ponds Trail. This trail consisted of about 1 1/2 miles of deep sand. It was completely miserable to hike in. At the end of the trail we did climb around on some rocks which was pretty cool. We were happy to be on "solid" ground. When we got back to the car Becca and Adie had a contest to see how much sand was in their shoes - Becca won! After hiking we met up with Kerryanne again to go pamper ourselves with pedicures - much needed after a day of hiking. We went to dinner at the Texas Road House, which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to go someplace fun and with outstanding food. We had a blast there! After dinner we did a bit more shopping then indulged in some frozen custard - YUMMY! We stayed at the Rodeway Inn this night, which was not as impressive as the Holiday Inn, but it was a place to lay our heads.

On our last day we spent the morning hanging out at the hotel, then went to Ti Pan Trading for a bit more shopping, then Costco for hot dogs and frozen yogurt. Then we hit the road for home. It was so much fun to just hang out without any kind of responsibility. It was so great to talk, laugh, cry, and learn more about each other. I definitely have friendships that will last a lifetime! Of course I have to give a shout out to our great hubbies who took time off to take care of the kids. Without them this would not have been possible. I'm looking forward to another great girls trip in the future. "See Ya Later" (Becca will understand this)! :)

Okay - (Sorry Becca) - at one of our pit stops in Beaver we found the most amazing, powerful, and LOUD blowers in all the world.

Tooth number 3

2009-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last night Spencer pulled out his 3rd loose tooth, with a little (well actually a lot) of persuasion from Jimmy. Spencer kept wiggling and wiggling until, pop, it came out. He had a audience during the process - Jimmy and Trenton were his cheering section (I was in the bedroom hiding because the whole process gave me the willies). He now as a slight lisp when he talks -he hasn't quite got use to the space yet. So cute - what a beautiful smile!

Itty Bitty Trenton

2009-03-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

In March 2009 we signed Trenton up for an "Itty Bitty Ball" class at our local Rec Center. He went to 6 classes where he learned a little bit about 5 different sports - Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, Football, and Volleyball. He had an absolute blast! Trenton is very athletic and loves sports, however, I discovered that he also likes to dance. During one of the sessions they played a game of dance freeze - when the music stops you freeze. Trenton loved playing this game. His dancing was more like break dancing then anything else. He liked to flip, kick and spin on the ground, as well as pose when he had to "freeze". It was hysterical! Trenton said that his favorite sports to play were football and basketball. He had a great time running as well. He loves running races. It is nice to have something to help get the wiggles out during the long winter months. Great work Trenton!!

Thanks Jimmy

2009-03-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give a shout out to Jimmy. I am so grateful that he works so hard for us so we can live the type of life we do. It is fun to see pictures of some of the training he does, because sometimes his job is a mystery to me. I'm not really sure what he does all day! :) I am so glad he has found a career that fits his personality perfectly, and he loves it. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thanks for all you do for us. I love you!

What a Great Group of Little Guys

2009-02-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

I was thinking last night about how great it is to be a mom and how wonderful my three little boys are. I started thinking about all the cute and funny things that they do and thought I might share some.
I look at Spencer right now and cannot believe how big he is. He is now 6 years old. When I look back on his baby pictures I can't believe it is the same person. It makes me a little bit sad thinking of how fast he has grown up. Spencer is learning to read. It is amazing to see him progress in his learning, I love it! He is really good at math, which will be a great quality. When I ask him about how his day went at school he always answers "It was AWESOME!" I hope this enthusiasm will last through the rest of his school years, but have you ever heard a teenager say that school was AWESOME! It might just be wishful thinking. We went to a parent teacher conference last week and his teacher, Miss Gurney, said "Have you noticed that Spencer is always the last one out of class when you come pick him up? Well the reason is that he always stays and helps me push in the chairs." It brings a smile to my face. He is so sweet and will do those small acts of service. For Valentines Day Spencer wanted to spend the money he got from his Grandma on Valentine gifts for his brothers. He went with Jimmy to the dollar store and bought little dinosaur toys for Trenton and TJ. He was so happy and proud to be giving instead of receiving. Spencer has always been good at video games. We've discovered that he is amazing at the game Guitar Hero, which is a video game where you have to play a guitar. He is on level medium, because he has already passed the easy level. He is better at it then me. I had to have him pass a couple songs for me. He keeps saying, "Mom I'm better than you, huh." Little show off! :) At school he would tell us about the funny games the kids would play at recess at. He said that all the girls would chase the boys, and when the girls caught you they would put you in "jail." Then the other boys had to come rescue you from jail. He would play that every day until he discovered football. Football has now become the sport of choice. He is quite talented at playing as well. Jimmy will go out and play with him in the yard. Spencer has got quite the arm. It is interesting because his favorite team is the "VT's" (Virgina Tech). I have no idea why, it is probably because he played as the VT's on his video game. He once asked me where Virgina Tech was (we were talking about when you get older you go off to college). I told him it was far away and you would have to ride in a plane to get there. He then said "where can I go to school where I don't have to fly a plane to get there?" I guess that was his way of saying he wants to stay close to us when he gets older. For Christmas I bought him a football jersey, which he wears all the time. Grandma Cindy once said to him, "Do you ever wear anything else?"
Trenton is four years old. His birthday is in January and he told me right after Christmas, "You need to take down the Christmas decorations and put up decorations for my Batman birthday". Boy was he excited. Trenton does not eat, and when he does eat it is because we are forcing him to. Every meal he says he is not hungry, unless you offer him cookies and treats. It is so frustrating! I keep hoping he'll snap out of it soon. But I guess a kid won't starve himself, right!?! He has just started getting into playing video games with Spencer. It is really quite cute to watch him and he is actually getting pretty good. Trenton is Spencer's shadow. He loves going where Spencer goes. The great thing about it is that Spencer doesn't mind, what a blessing! Trenton loves to turn on the soundtrack to Cars and run around our kitchen island, all the while saying "Vrroooommm". The other boys usually join in but it is Trenton who always starts it. Every night Trenton has to have a story before he goes to bed. He really likes the story I made up about the 3 boys being super heroes with super forces. Spencer, strong force, Trenton, fast force, and TJ, stinky force (because he still wears diapers). He laughs and laughs when the story comes to the stinky force part. Trenton is probably our worst sleeper. He is always the last to bed and the first one up. I have his bedtime routine down, we'll put him to bed, then within 5 minutes he'll come out crying because "Spencer hurt me". I'll ask "where you in your bed or Spencer's?" He'll always say "mine", which is a lie. After we put him back he'll come out at least 2 more times for a drink, story, to go potty or to tell us something very important. He'll say "I have to tell you something" and it will usually be something ridiculous like "I have a nose" or "Yellow is a nice color" which makes us think "You have got to be kidding me, Please just go to bed!" He has been on a kick lately of coming out of his room and asking us to play hide and seek in his bed. We usually say, "sure go hide in your bed, we will count, and then come find you". Then, about 5 minutes later we'll hear, "I'm ready, are you coming". What a goof. Trenton has quite the imagination. He loves to dress up as Batman and pretend he is saving the world. My very favorite story about Trenton was this one day when I was trying to get some Christmas decorations up Spencer and Trenton started being a little bit wild and bumping into the decorations. I sent them to their room. A couple minutes later I heard Trenton and Spencer sneaking down the stairs. They were both dressed in camouflage. Spencer proceeded to tell me that Trenton told him to "dress in camo so mom would think we were bushes and then we could come out of our room". I could not help but laugh. Trenton is also our monkey boy, doing flips off the couch, or on our bed and "swinging" into bed (he does not like to climb up the ladder to get on the top bunk). He is also very photogenic. In pretty much all of the pictures we took for our family photos this year he looks amazing. He is quite a model. Trenton also loves to play in the dirt. When we went to Yellowstone he did "dirt angels". When he walked or you touched him dirt would puff off his body. Man was he a dirty boy. I was frustrated at the time, but looking back on it now it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
Taylor (TJ) is 2 years old. He is at such a fun age, I can't get enough of him. He is completely adorable. He loves to wrestle and play tackle football. When you play football with him all he wants you to do is chase him and tackle him to the ground. You will never get the chance to be the "tackled"! He'll grab the ball and say "Hike" at that point you have to tackle him or you'll hear about it. If you stop playing he will cry or say "No mommy, come back" or "Stand up!" He loves trains and Thomas the Tank Engine. He tries to sing the song on the Thomas movie, the only part he knows is "Thomas, he's the cheeky one". He will repeat this over and over. He also likes to sing a dinosaur song, but the only part we know is "Dinosaur, his tail is swift as lightning", so he will just sing "Dinosaur" over and over. He is our first child to get attached to a blanket. He has to have it to go to bed. When I try to put him down for a nap he will always say "No, play". Sometimes I can't help but give in and let him go play. I love this age when they are learning to talk. It's so cute! TJ is our best eater, and is usually in the kitchen. Everyday at lunch time he will stand at the kitchen table and yell to Spencer and Trenton "Sencer,Tenton - unch, it's Weady" (translation: Spencer, Trenton - lunch, it's ready). He has a little friend named Landen, who lives a couple houses away from us. I would say to him, "Do you want to go play with Landen?", and instantly he would wave and say "See Ya" and head for the door, meaning see you later mom, I'm out of here. TJ loves to watch movies, and he tends to want to change the movie every 10 minutes. He loves to watch Thomas the Train, Monster Inc. (he calls it "Scary-ya"), Cars, Toy Story 2, and Kung Fu Panda. He'll ask for "Fu Pana". He sounds so cute saying it. These are a few of his favorites, although he tends to watch just about anything you will put on. Sometimes he will sing "Na, Na, Na, Na Atman" (batman). So cute! He likes to pretend he's a dinosaur or monster and will walk around growling. Then when he sees you he will ROAR, and keep roaring until you react. Then he will laugh and start over again. He only wants to wear Thomas shirts or Dinosaur shirts, and he will fight you if you try to put something else on him. When he wants a drink he'll say "Fishy (thirsty) Mommy, drinky-ya (drink)". I don't know what it is about the "ya" at the end of words, but I sure do love it! I hope I will always remember how it sounds. He loves fruit snacks and will say "snacky" then when you give him one he'll bounce up and down and say "Yeah!" He gets excited about the littlest things. Then after he has the snack he will shove the whole thing in his mouth at once.
I have so many memories of these precious angels. They are the joys of my life. I just want to soak in everything and always remember them like this. Sometimes life gets hard when you are right in the middle of raising little kids, but I know that one day I am going to miss this time so much. I can already see it happening since I have no more little babies. I am moving on to another phase of life. I was talking to a friend who has 3 teenage boys, and she was saying how much she misses buying toys for Christmas. It hit me at that moment that my kids are growing up, FAST, and someday my life will be the same way, 3 teenage boys who won't want toys for Christmas. I need to enjoy these little things! I am striving to cherish every single day, no matter how stressful things get, and cherish my little children. I love you boys!!!

Off we go to New Mexico

2009-02-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

I am a planner, so when Jimmy suggested taking a trip to New Mexico I was a little stressed but pretty excited. We decided to take the trip on a Sunday, leave for New Mexico 3 days later, that Wednesday, and be home the next Sunday. Could I possibly take a trip without months of planning!?! YES! It was so invigorating! Jimmy's brother was called to be the new bishop in his ward in Albuquerque, so we figured that was a great excuse for a visit and to give support. Everything fell right into place. My mom offered to take the kids - WOW, Jimmy had the week off, and we have the transportation to get there. I guess a little get away doesn't need to take months of planning. We left early Wednesday and drove straight through. It took about 9 1/2 hours to get there, but it was an easy drive because we were kid-less! John and Stacey were so accommodating. We have never been to New Mexico and it definitely has a unique landscape. It is a charming dessert city. We arrived around 4:00 pm on Wednesday January 28th, got settled in, and then took a short bike tour of John's neighborhood. Jimmy wanted to find some fun places to go skateboarding. We spent the rest of the evening playing Rock Band. That game is a blast! The next day, Thursday January 29th, we did a quick run in the morning, (it was nice to be outdoors and not freezing), then went to the Petroglyph National Monument. It was fun to hike around and see all the old Indian writings, we also found a few "not so old" writings, which included a peace sign. I guess the area was a volcanic area so there was lots of volcanic rock. When you hiked to the top you had a view of the whole city. It was really nice. Friday January 30th, we drove out to Santa Fe to check out the state capitol. We walked around The Plaza, which is a historic part of Santa Fe, which has ritzy shopping boutiques, as well as an area where the native people lay blankets out and sell jewelry, pottery, and paintings. That was fun to see. Jimmy and I wanted to try New Mexican cuisine, so John and Stacey treated us to lunch at The Shed. It was a cool restaurant decorated with New Mexican decor. Jimmy ordered a taco and enchilada place smothered with green chili sauce, I ordered an ultra spicy pork dish. Man, were my lips burning! I wish I could remember what the dish was called, so if you read about pork slow cooking in red sauce, beware! Later that evening we all went to the local pool (it was .25 cent night). It was fun to swim laps and play with the kids, however the water was pretty cold, but we got use to it. On Saturday January 31st, Jimmy and I took Madison and Jarom to this cool geological site call Tent Rock National Monument. It was this really cool area with volcanic formations. There were two hike you could take. The first hike we went on took you through a slot canyon on the way up to the top lookout point. I have never hiked in slot canyons before, it was AWESOME, and the scenery was so beautiful. It was cool to hike through narrow paths and crawl under rocks. We also climbed up in some of the formations, which afterward Jimmy informed us that it was illegal and we could have been charged $250.00 if caught. I was a bit more careful after that. The weather was amazing and the view from the top was beautiful. After that hike we went on the other hike which was just a short loop around the bottom of the canyon. After going on the first hike we decided that the loop hike was lame! That evening the rest of Jimmy's family arrived. We had fun playing games and having FHE. On Sunday we went to church for John's big new calling. We could not even imagine what John was thinking. He will do a great job as bishop. After sacrament, setting apart, and lunch we were on our way back home. Again another smooth drive back. We even listened to the super bowl. We had a great trip and are looking forward to another visit, but this time with the kids. It was so nice to spend time wit Jimmy's brother and his family. It was fun to get to know Stacey a little better, she is an amazing cook and fed us well. Madison likes the same type of music as I do and she's really fun to talk to. Jarom is a really smart kid and is amazing at Rock Band, Charity is the cutest little 3 year old ever. I had fun playing tickle monster with her and at FHE the thing she said she liked about me was that "I made funny noises". I laughed me head off. What is that supposed to mean Charity? She is a doll. John wanted us to have the time of our life, which we did. He is so young at heart, he reminds me of Jimmy in that way. It was fun to spend time with him. Thanks John and Stacey for making our trip a memorable one!

Happy Birthday Trenton

2009-01-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Trenton! What a big day for our 4 year old! We had a jam packed day full of toy shopping, party planning, Kangaroo Zoo, McDonald's, cake and presents. We started the day by going shopping to get balloons and party favors. After we went to the toy store because he got some birthday money from Great Grandma and Grandpa. He picked out a batman scooter and a batman toy car. He loves Batman! Trenton had many ideas of what he wanted to do for his birthday, but since money doesn't grow on trees he was only able to choose one. He decided he wanted to go to Kangaroo Zoo, which is an inflatable play place. He was able to invite one friend to join in the fun. The kids ran and played hard for 2 hours straight. They had a blast! In the evening Jimmy and I took Trenton out on a birthday date. We have started a tradition where Jimmy and I just taking the birthday boy out on their own. All the boys seem to enjoy this new tradition. However, Trenton was so pooped from playing at Kangaroo Zoo that he fell fast asleep on the drive over to McDonald's. McDonald's is the restaurant of choice for my kids. I gave Trenton several options of places to go, but he didn't get excited until I mentioned Mickey D's. What is it about that place!?! Anyway, he had a great time running and playing, again, at McDonald's. Afterward we came home for cake and presents. What a great day. We love our Birthday Boy!

Hill AFB

2009-01-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

On December 30, 2008 I took the kids up to Ogden to visit a friend of mine. While we were there we took a trip to the Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum. WOW! It was so amazing. It was a perfect outing for 3 little boys. There were two big hangers full of airplanes. I know how much my Grandpa Carmen loves airplanes, so I thought of him a lot while we were there. It would have been fun to have him there to tell me all about the different planes. Spencer's favorite plane was the Blackbird, which is the fastest airplane in the world. Trenton liked when we were able to walk up inside a helicopter. There was a window taken out on the side of it and the kids decided that the window got "blown out" in battle. What imaginations! I think TJ had more fun running around then looking at any planes. He is just so full of energy. My friend has 2 boys and a little girl. One of her boys name is also Spencer, so while we were together we had to call my Spencer "Big Spencer" and hers "Little Spencer". There was a little bit of confusion with the two. It sure was fun to go experience this museum. It was Fascinating.

I'm a VIP

2009-01-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

December 18, 2008 was a big day for a "Very Important Person" in our family. Spencer had his VIP day at school. Jimmy and I were invited to go to Spencer's class to share a little bit more about him. I made a poster all about Spencer which he shared with the class. We played a game of follow the leader. We thought of a list of things Spencer likes to do and acted them out, for example, playing football, hiking, shooting his bow and arrow, drawing, playing video games, having a snowball fight, and having a light saber duel. The kids enjoyed acting that out. Next Jimmy read the story "The Night Before Christmas" because Christmas is Spencer's favorite holiday. Finally, I made a memory game of Spencer's favorite things. On a poster I put pictures of some things Spencer likes then covered the pictures with a piece of paper with a number on it. The kids got to choose two numbers and if it was a match they won, if not they had to try again. They loved it. Then the class had question and answer time. At the very end Miss Gurney asked Jimmy and I to share a memory of Spencer. Jimmy shared about Spencer's nick name "Blackbird". When Spencer played soccer Jimmy would call him the Blackbird because he was so fast (the Blackbird is the fastest airplane in the world). I shared about the time when Spencer was 4 years old and we went to Disneyland, While we were there I took Spencer on The Tower of Terror. Spencer was terrified. But on the way home (driving from California to Utah), Spencer said to me, "Mom, I was thinking about it and the Tower of Terror is really not that scary, it's just an elevator that goes up and down". What 4 year old thinks about stuff like that. It was so funny. Spencer really is a great little guy. He's a VIP in our family!

Trenton's Christmas Program

2009-01-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Trenton is now attending Creative Kids Preschool. He is really enjoying it. A few weeks ago, on December 18, 2008, Ms. Nicole and his class put on a Christmas Program. He did a great job. He was required to memorize a part, his part was "M is for Mistletoe, watch where it hangs". We were so proud of him. His class also preformed several Christmas songs. I laughed out loud during Jingle Bells because all the kids were in their own little world, not singing together or on key. It was so cute. My favorite part of the program was when they recited and did actions to a poem called "Five Little Snowmen". Good Job Trenton! We love you.

Merry Christmas 2008

2009-01-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! How time flies. We had a great holiday season. However, I feel that it goes by to fast. All the hype, time, and excitement for Christmas is finished in 20 minutes of high speed unwrapping. It is so much fun, but a lot of work! I've noticed how different Christmas is now that I have my own children, it is so much more magical. This year Santa did something special for the kids. He sent them on a scavenger hunt to find their final gift. The kids ran around the house looking for clues. The final clue led them back to the Christmas Tree where the gifts had magically appeared. It was a stormy day. We had a lot of snow, but we were lucky in the fact that everyone came to our house and we didn't have to travel in it. We had a nice time visiting family. We had Jimmy's family over for a Christmas lunch and Laurel's parents and Chris in the evening. The kids had a fun day playing with their cousins. We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Steve's. Mom always out does herself, but we enjoy every minute. She always makes holidays extra special for the family. We were able to spend time with Chris and Crystal - and their kids, Grandma Donna and Noelle and Trent. We always have a good time when we are together. Chris made a family video which consisted of pictures taken throughout the year. At the end of the video he did a "gag reel" of some funny pictures of us. He is very talented and I enjoy getting the video. Plus we always end up having a good laugh!

I asked the kids what they liked about this last Christmas -

Spencer: Was excited to get "The Force Unleashed" light saber from Santa and his Star Wars Blaster.

Trenton: He loves the snow and Christmas. He loves to go sledding on our front yard. I guess that is one good thing about living in a hill. He received a monster truck track and a Star Wars Darth Vader ship.

TJ: Was more excited about his new Thomas the Train set then going on Santa's scavenger hunt. He got 2 train sets, he was in heaven!

This Holiday Season has been a fun and memorable one. Of course we will always remember our Savior Jesus Christ and his birth, which is the real reason we celebrate.